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California Highway Patrol officers pulled over a Tesla that was cruising down the 134 Freeway at around 11 p.m. Thursday night. Troopers observed that the driver was unconscious at the time.
An air patrol unit caught the end of the incident as the vehicle slowed to a stop after a CHP vehicle overtook it and stopped in front of it, ABC 7 reported.
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Troopers could not confirm, though, whether or not the vehicle had been on autopilot when it stopped. The driver claimed that it was.
California drivers have previously had issues with Tesla autopilot, with some drivers taking advantage of the feature in ways that some experts believe is dangerous.
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CHP in July cited a driver with a DUI after a Tesla on autopilot almost hit a trooper. The troopers had been investigating a head-on crash in San Diego when the Tesla sped by and almost hit a fire truck as well.
The driver told authorities she had been asleep, and CHP troopers said the driver failed a DUI test, KTVN reported.
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The number of incidents that involved Tesla’s autopilot feature forced the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) in 2018 to investigate Tesla vehicles. In 11 crashes since 2018, 17 people have been injured and one killed.
“No commercially-available motor vehicles today are capable of driving themselves,” an NHTSA spokesperson told Fox News. “Every available vehicle requires the human driver to be in control at all times, and all State laws hold the human driver responsible for operation of their vehicles.”
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“Certain advanced driving assistance features can promote safety by helping drivers avoid crashes and mitigate the severity of crashes that occur, but as with all technologies and equipment on motor vehicles, drivers must use them correctly,” the spokesperson explained.
Tesla and the California Highway Patrol did not respond to Fox News’ requests for comment.
